Grain-separator for thrashing-machines



N0 Model.)

J. z. PERRON. GRAIN SEPARATOR FOR THRASHING MACHINES. No. 546,246.

Patented Sept. '10, 1895.

AKDRIW IGRAMAM. VNOYO LN'NOWASHIIIGTDEDL 4 UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn...

JOSEPH Z. PER-RON, ()F RED LAKE FALLS, MINNESOTA.

GRAlN-S EPARATOR FOR THRASHlNG=MACHlNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,246, dated September 10, 1895.

Application filed November 30, 1894'. Serial No. 530,339. (No model.)

To aZzZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Z..PERRON, of Red Lake-Falls, in the county of Polk and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Separators for 'llhrashing-lllachines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in grain-separators for thrashing-machines.

By the processes now in common vogue for separating grain in thrashing-machines the grain has to be carried with all the chaff and dirt from under the cylinder until it drops onto the sieves before the wind is applied to separate the chaff and dirt therefrom. In view of this it necessarily requires a very strong wind to efiect the separation, and by reason of the necessity for such a strong current of air a large percentage of the grain blows out with the chaff and dirt.

The object of my improvement is to provide an improved construction of such charactor that the wind or air current is applied to the grain for the purpose of separating a certain percentage of the chaff and dirt before the grain reaches the sieves, thereby relieving said sieves of a large proportion of chaff and dirt, so that only a light current of air is necessary to be applied to the sieves in order to effect the separation of any remaining chaif or dirt as the grain passes through the sieves YVith the above object in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a thrashing-machine embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a detail of the adjustable gate and mechanism for operating the same.

Like numerals of reference denote like parts in both figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 3 indicates the frame of a thrashing-machine. Within the forward end of this frame is mounted the usual toothed cylinder 4, and be low this cylinder is arranged a toothed and perforated concave 5.

forward end being connected to the shaker 7,

so as to impart motion thereto.

At the rear end of the machine is located an elevator 11, adapted to discharge the straw. Beneath this elevator is an inclined flooring 12. In advance of and extending below the forward end of the elevator is a shaker-board 13, and below this board are sieves 14 15 and an inclined board or chute 16, the last-mew tioned board or chute leading to a grainspout 17.

The straw passes between the cylinder -l and concave 5, thence over shaker 6, thence between shaker-grate 7 and heater 8, over beater 9 onto shaker 10, thence to elevator 11 for discharge. In the travel of the, straw, as just described,the grain and chaff fall through the perforations of the concaves and the several shakers to the grain-pan below. The straw is finally discharged by the elevator 11, and whatever grain may be left drops through the spaces between the slats of the elevator onto the inclined flooring 12, which conducts it to the shaker-board 13. From thisshakerboard the grain falls onto the first of the series of sieves 14, from sieve 14 to sieve 15, and from sieve 15to the inclined board or chute 16, which latter board or chute conducts it to the grain-spout 17.

The above-dcscribed parts form no part of myinvention, but are only herein shown and described in order to clearly point out the application of my improvements.

It will loo-understood that the cylinder and several heaters are rotated by the usual gearing employed in this class of machines and that the shakers are actuated in the usual and well-known manner.

Referring now to my improvements, the numeral 18 indicates a circular fan-casing within which is mounted in suitable bearings a shaft 19,said shaft being rotated in any desirable manner. Radiating from the shaft are the usual wings 20. The rear end of the casing is open, as indicated at 21 and this open end is controlled by a series or slats 22, each of said slats being mounted on a shaft 23. The ends of these shafts extending outside of the casing are providedwith arms 24,

which are joined by a connecting-rod 25. This rod may be actuated in any suitable manner, so as to turn the slats and effect the closure of the opening.

Below the concaves and the shakers isarranged the grain-pan, the bottom of which is formed of two sections'26 and 27, respectively, the latter being rigidly secured throughout, while the sides of the former section are loose from the sides of the grain-pan for a certain distance in order to allow said section to spring up and down. The fan-casing is also provided at its forward portion with an opening 28, said opening leading to a vertical passage 29. The rear wall of this passage is formed bya rigid partition 30, while the front wall thereof is composed of an adjustable board 31, which is adapted to slide in vertical Ways 32 32. The upper edge of this adjustable board is secured to the under side of the non-rigid section of the grain-pan bottom, and is adapted when moved up and down,respectively, to bring the edge of said non-rigid section farther away or closer to the edge of the rigid section, whereby the upper end of the vertical passage 29 may be either opened or closed. I

The means for affecting the adjustability of the board are shown clearly in Fig. 2, and consists of angular brackets 33 33, secured to the board and levers 34 34-, pivoted to the framework beneath the board, said levers having toothed segments 35 35 at their upper ends. Any one of the spaces between the teeth of these segments is adapted to be brought into register with a notch or semicircular recess 36 36 in the edges of the horizontal portions of the brackets. It is obvious that as the levers are operated the segments bearing beneath the under side of the horizontal portions of the brackets will have the effect of either raising or lowering the board, in accordance with the direction in which the levers are turned. lVhen the proper position of the board is secured, pins 37 are passed through the registering-spaces of the teeth and the recesses of the brackets, whereby the board is maintained in its adjusted position.

Above the bottom of the grain-pan is a chain-carrier 38, by means of which the grain is carried toward the rear end of the machine to be deposited on the sieve 14. It will be noticed that'the contiguous edges of the two sections of the grain-pan bottom are beveled, the bevel of the movable section being longer than the beveled edge beneath of the rigid section. By this provision the grain lying on the grain-pan bottom and carried rearward by the slats of the chain-carrier is prevented from droppinginto the vertical pas sage 29 when the upper end thereof is open.

In operation the fan is rotated in the direc tion indicated by the arrow. One current of air, therefore, is directed through the rear space 21 of the fan-casing when the slats are adjusted to open said space, and another current of air passes through the opening 28 in the forward portion of. the fan-casing and enters the vertical passage 29. The board 31 being adjusted to raise the rear end of the movable section 26 of the grain-pan bottom a clear exit is afforded for this blast, the force of which, it is obvious, may be readily increased ordecreased byproperly adjusting the board to vary the width of the opening. The grain, together with the chaff and dirt, that is dropped through'the concave, grate, and shaker falls to the bottom of the grainpau andis there acted on by the slats of the chaincarrier and carried toward the sieve 14. The moment it reaches the opening at the top of the vertical passage 29 it is acted upon by a constant current of air issuing from the passage. The chaff and dirt being lighterthan the grain are blown away. After the grain has thus been relieved of foreign matter it is carried by the carrier to the rear, where it is deposited on the sieve 14:,thence onto sieve 15, and finally conducted to the grain-spout by the inclined board or chute. While the grain is passing through the several sieves it is constantly subjected to the current of air passingthrough the opening 21, so that any chaff or dirt which may remain is separated therefrom and blown away. The force of this blast, however, can be much lighter than in separators wherein the grain is first subjected to a current of air when it reaches the sieves, inasmuch as in my device the greatest percentage of the chaff and dirt is removed before the grain reaches the sieves. The blast passing through the opening 21 also serves to separate any chaff or dirt which may be remaining in the grain deposited on the sieves from the shaker-board 13.

I claim that by my improvement, in which a current of air is applied before the grain reaches the sieves, it does not require so strong a wind on the sieve and consequently prevents the grain from being blown over, which of course cannot be avoided in conse quence of so much chaff and dirt falling onto the sieves with the grain where a strong current of air is necessary, as in the machinesin which the air is applied only to the sieves. By my improvement also the cleaning capac ity of the sieves is increased from one-fourth to one-half, thereby greatly augmenting the efficiency of the machine and enabling it to do more and better work. There is furthermore no danger of overloading the sieves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a grain separator for thrashing maning longitudinally of this pan, a fan casing provided at its front and rear, respectively,

with openings, the front opening having communication with the opening in the bottom of the grain pan formed between the contiguous edges of the movable and non-movable sections, and means for raising and lowering the end of the movable section of the grain-pan bottom, substantially as set forth.

2. In a grain separator for thrashing machines, the combination, of a frame having a grain-pan within which the chaff and dirt are separated from the grain, the bottom of said grain-pan composed of a movable and a nonmovable section, a chain carrier running 1ongitudinally of this pan, a fan casing provided in its front portion with an opening, a rear rigid partition extending upwardly from this opening to the rigid section of the bottom of the grain-pan, a front board removed from the rear rigid partition to form a vertical passage, said board having its lower edge loose, and its upper edge secured to the movable section of the bottom of the grainpan, means for raising and lowering this board, and a fan Within the casing, substantially as set forth.

3. In a grain separator for thrashing machines, the combination, of a frame having a grain-pan Within which the chaff and dirt are separated from the grain, the bottom of said pan composed of a movable and a nonmovable section, a chain carrier running longitudinally of this pan,a fan casing provided in its front portion with an opening, a rear rigid partition extending upwardly from this opening to the rigid section of the bottom of the grain-pan, a front board removed from the rear rigid partition to form a vertical, passage, said board having its lower edge loose and its upper edge secured to the movable section of the bottom of the grain-pan, an annular bracket-secured to the board, and having the edge of its horizontal portion provided with a recess, a lever having its upper end formed into a toothed segment, a pin adapted to be passed into the space between any of the teeth of the segment, and intothe registering recess of the annular bracket, and a fan within the casing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH Z. PEBRON.

WVitnesses:

CHAS. E. BOUGHTON, E. J. GAROEAU. 

